“We have no ornaments, Elsie,” said she, sadly.

“No; I never heard you regret the want of them before.”

“I should like to have something to sell.  Emilia Chalmers has 200 pounds worth of jewellery, most of it left by her aunt.  If we had so much, we might convert it into money, and might stock a little shop.”

“A shop!” said Elsie, shuddering.

“Why not?  One is more independent keeping a shop than in a governess’s situation, and there my business knowledge would be of use.  It is wrong and absurd to have a terror of a shop.”

“I cannot help feeling a great repugnance to shopkeeping.”

“Then would you rather be a governess, supposing you were capable?”

“Oh, Jane, that is such a hard life.  I should be separated from you; and then one is worried by the children, and snubbed by the parents, sneered at by servants, and ignored by visitors.”

“Then dressmaking?  You work beautifully.”

“The late hours, and the close rooms; do you think I could stand it?”

“I am a little afraid for you,” said Jane, thoughtfully.  “What would you like to do?”

“Why, I have never thought of doing anything but being with you, working a little, reading a little, going out a little, and having nobody over me but you, my own darling sister.  It stuns me to be told that I must go to work for a livelihood.”

“I hope we may be able to live together as you hoped, eventually; but in the meantime we must both put our shoulders to the wheel.”

“Have we no friends who would give us a home—­at least for a while, till we get accustomed to the thought of hard work?” said Elsie.

“We have no relations, and we have made but few friends.  I fear no one would come forward to help us now that we need help so much.  It is a pity that my uncle kept us so much to himself, and that we were so fully occupied with our own home duties that we had little or no time for society.  Now we have no capital for a start, and no friends to help us on, only our talents and our education—­a small stock-in-trade, I fear.”

In the course of the afternoon the man-servant, James, announced that Mr. Dalzell was below, and that he sent his compliments and wished to know how the young ladies were.

It was not the first visit since Mr. Hogarth’s death.  He had paid a visit of condolence on the following day, and had never been so affectionate or impressive in his manner to Jane as on that occasion.

“Show Mr. Dalzell upstairs, James,” said Jane; “I think I should like to see him.”

The man looked somewhat intelligent, and obeyed.

“I cannot see anybody—­I am not fit to be seen,” said Elsie, retreating in haste from the room; “and indeed, Jane, I wonder at you wishing to see him so soon after this dreadful news.”

“He has been at the funeral, I suppose.  It is very proper of him to inquire for us, and very imperative that we should understand each other;—­the sooner the better.  But do not stay if you do not like.  I should prefer to see him alone.”